Mutagen

Mark smiled happily.

"Dude, it\'s really you!"

Rollan smiled and approached Mark trying to bro hug him.

"Wait, you better not do that."

Mark stopped Rollan from doing so and stretched his hands dripping with blood. The blood came from that time Janette handed him the gang leader\'s head for him to split it open.

Rollan was stopped from his intention but he could see how warm Mark was looking at him. It was a really good reunion for the two who was best friends since they were in their first year in high school. That should be about thirteen years since the two men met each other.

During the time Mark had closed himself from the outside world, they also barely interacted with each other as Rollan was also busy with his work and other aspects of his life. Still, their connection was not broken just because of that.

Now that the world had almost ended and was seething with flesh eating monsters, seeing each other alive was a very joyous occasion. Furthermore, they saw each other in a very unlikely place. It was because Firenze was way, way distant from the location of their houses. If it was to be compared, Bay City was even closer than their homes from this place.

"How did you get here?"

Mark asked.

"It\'s a long story but I came here with them."

Rollan pointed at the passenger van that came with the police convoy. Fatigue could be seen on his face as he sighed.

"What about Nikky?"

When Mark asked that, Rollan\'s face soured.

"Don\'t tell me…"

"No, it\'s not that. It\'s just I don\'t know how she is now nor my family."

"Did you get stranded somewhere after the outbreak?"

"That\'s right."

"Well, this is not a good place to catch up. Come with us."

Mark said as he pointed at the MB Sprinter.

"I really hate it when my plans get ruined but it can\'t be helped now, can it?"

"You planned on leaving?"

"Well, yeah. I wanted to look for people including you but since you\'re already here, you\'ll surely come with us right?"

"I surely would. You\'ll help me find Nikky and my family right?"

"You bet. But you can\'t just follow like that. You looked like you\'ll collapse in any moment."

Mark smiled. For people who were close to him, he would not deny what they wanted without deep reason. Since he was planning to look for people anyway, adding a few more would not bother him. Also, they could just look for them on the way while going to further areas.

At what Mark had just said, Rollan hung a bitter smile on his face. Mark was right after all. He had not received enough food and sleep during this past few days. Even if he wanted to rush and find the people he wanted to find, it was no good if he collapsed before he could even step out into the street.

"Gege, here."

"Alright, help me pull out some of the tissue."

While the two best friends were talking, Mei returned carrying the stuff Mark asked for. Seeing the beautiful girl approaching Mark, Rollan\'s eyes lit up. However, seeing that Rollan was looking at her, Mei hurriedly hid behind Mark.

"Dude, you finally got a girlfriend?"

"What are you talking about? She\'s not alright."

Hearing that, Rollan choked. He was a man with a loving girlfriend. She was Nikky who Mark asked him about. How could he not notice that the way that beautiful girl look at Mark was the same as how Nikky looked at him? He did not think that Mark was dense since he knew that this guy was a sensitive person.

"Gege, who is he?"

"I\'ll introduce him later. Help me clean Janette first."

"Yes."

Mark then turned at Rollan.

"Lan, wait for a bit. I\'ll just take care of a few things."

"Alright, it\'s not like I\'m going anywhere."

With that, Mark turned towards Janette who was still kneeling beside the beheaded body and had already licked her hand clean.

Together with Mei, Mark washed Janette\'s hands and wiped the blood off her face. Janette who was being cleaned only stared at Mark and Mei blankly and let the two do what they wanted. She was neither behaving violently nor behaving aggressive as it seemed that she only wanted to eat the gang leader\'s brain. Now that she had fulfilled what she wanted, she returned to her blank state.

Or maybe not.

It was because she started following Mark\'s hands as they moved.

Then under everyone\'s astonished gazes, Janette slowly reached towards Mark\'s right hand.

Mark was confused at what she wanted to do but he just let her grab his hand. Mei looked worried as there was still the possibility of Janette biting anyone but looking at Mark\'s calm face, she managed to hold back.

What Janette did however made the jaws of the people around them drop.

After she held Mark\'s right hand with both her hands, she slowly put his palm on her head and stared at Mark as if she was waiting for something.

Mark remembered what he did back in the mall the first time he noticed her peculiarity. With those thought, he channeled the same comforting energy. No one noticed since it was early in the morning and the sun shined around them but Mark\'s eyes were exuding a milky white glow.

Then…

Janette smiled.

Mark was the only one who noticed but there was a faint smile on her lips and a faint fluctuation on her weak consciousness. After that, Janette\'s body slumped. Mark hurriedly supported her body from falling. Like what happened before, she fell asleep. While everyone was still gawking at them, Mark slowly lifted Janette\'s body in a princess carry. He intended to carry her back into the vehicle.

"Lan, let\'s go."

Rollan who was all confused at what he had just seen absentmindedly nodded and followed behind Mark. He had already taken several steps when he snapped at his stupor.

"Dude, that\'s a zombie right?"

"Well, yeah what of it?"

Mark glanced over his shoulders and replied.

"Why are you keeping her?"

"Well, there were several circumstances that led to this but as you can see, she\'s very different from those infected you see everywhere."

"…"

Rollan went silent. There was no way to refute that after seeing what had just happened. Would any infected let a human touch them without trying to bite their hands? The infected Mark was carrying in his arms might be the only one.

Mark and Mei led Rollan towards their vehicle.

"Everyone, get back in the car. We\'ll postpone our departure for a bit. Odel, drive the car back to that house."

"As you wish, Master."

Odelina replied while the others were still wondering about his change of mind.

"Bro, we won\'t leave?"

Carlo voiced what was in the minds of everyone.

"We\'ll leave later. I actually wanted to leave already but you see right, a lot of things happening preventing us from doing so. We\'ll just let it pass and leave a little bit later."

"Well, you got the call."

Carlo replied while shrugging his shoulders. He also wanted to leave too as he wanted to check on his family as soon as possible but as just what his Bro had said. It felt like something was preventing them from doing so. Is it destiny? Fate? Who knows?

After that exchange, Mark put the sleeping Janette inside the vehicle but did not tie her anymore. Them everyone else entered the vehicle after Mark went out once more.

"Dude, why do you have too many women with you?"

Rollan suddenly asked making Mark shrug his shoulders.

"I want to ask that question myself, you know? But who can I ask? It\'s good that you\'re here. At least, there\'s one more male in the group."

"You\'re not going to use me as a shield, are you?"

"Nah, you\'re the only one thinking that. Anyway, you can sit on the passenger seat in the front."

"Why there?"

"Because we have to women in the back who have problems with males you see."

Rollan was speechless. It was not like he could not see another male sitting there and also Mark.

"Don\'t say anything, just enter the car."

Mark started to push him into the front passenger seat.

Everyone was inside the vehicle now while Mark went back to the crowd and approached the congresswoman who was currently talking with Chief Mallari and another person. The person that Mark was not familiar with was surely the Mutator from their ranks. Mark did not want to interact with this guy but it could not be helped at the moment.

"Mark!"

Madam Lanie called out as he approached and asked.

"Is there something you need?"

"We\'ll postpone our departure for later so I\'m just here to ask permission to use that house again."

"There\'s no problem with that. As I said before, your people are always welcome here."

"Alright."

"Wait Mark."

Mark was about to turn around and leave but Chief Mallari called him.

"What is it?"

"Thank you for lending your aid to us once more."

"Nah, I got my payment already."

Chief Mallari smiled bitterly at his response.

To the side, hearing that Mark took some payment for helping, SP02 Agbayani frowned. He was about to speak when.

"Don\'t you dare try to open that mouth of yours. I don\'t want to hear that nonsense you wanted to spew out of your mouth."

Mark\'s hostility was obvious.

SP02 Agbayani froze because of that and Mark left immediately afterwards.

Seeing Mark\'s back from a distance, SP02 Agbayani turned his head towards Chief Mallari and Madam Lanie.

"Chief, Madam, did I do something wrong?"

The two did not answer and just smiled bitterly at him making the young cop even more confused.

After leaving the three, Mark then approached Rosamie and her children.

"Can you three follow us? There are some questions I want to ask."

"There\'s no problem with that. We also have questions to ask you."

Rosamie agreed to his intention.

"Yeah, we have questions Mark-Ojichan!"

Emika unnecessarily added.

"Alright. Just follow behind our vehicle."

Mark then returned to the vehicle.

Rosamie on the other hand went to offer some pleasantries to the congresswoman and the police chief who led them here before boarding their vehicle.

The two unique looking vehicles drove away under everyone\'s eyes. Nevertheless, it would be hard for many people here to digest what they had just witnessed. Even if any of them were to tell what they saw to other people, no one would believe them and they might even be branded as liars.

***

Mark\'s group soon arrived back at the house they had just left not too long ago. Leaving this place and returning later looked awkward but there was nothing that they could do due to the sudden circumstances.

As time was the essence, Mark started giving orders.

"Anna."

"Yes?!"

"Start to prepare lunch. If we are able to, we\'ll have an early lunch and leave after noon."

"Roger!"

"Anyone want to help her?"

Mark asked the rest of the group.

"Master, how about I help?"

Odelina asked.

"I\'m just about to ask you to change Janette\'s clothes though. Its all stained with blood."

"Then, I can do that after cooking."

"Alright, if you say so."

There, they would start their meeting inside the living room but now, with the old members aside, Rollan was now included. Rosamie, Emika and Mikio were not members of the group but as Mark had questions to ask them, they also huddled on one of the sofas.

***

Day 4 - 7:32 AM – Central Business Park, Pasay City, Medical Building

It was a building formerly used as an office. After the military occupied Bay City and converted the place into an evacuation zone, the several story offices was converted into a medical facility.

Paula stood outside one of the rooms that were converted into an intensive care unit. She was looking worriedly through the glass window. Inside the room, a female could be seen with all the medical apparatus sticking on her body. The female Paula was worriedly looking at was no other than Angeline.

Angeline had been unconscious for about a day now. Though she was not in danger anymore, she had yet to wake up. Furthermore, no one was allowed to enter her room as of yet as she had just received a surgery.

Paula could not help but remember what happened. She stared back at the unconscious Angeline with a sad look.